Time for a Change
by BekahAM
Summary: Professor Dumbledore left a letter to be delivered to Hermione Granger in the event of his death. He knew she would be the only to accept such a life-changing mission. A spell sends her back to the Marauder's 7th year, where she is meant to change as many things as she can. She'll need to make a new life, new friends, and maybe even new love. Can she succeed? SB/HG, JP/LE Marauders
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

 **This story is rated M for language and lemons. Read wisely!**

 ** _This is a time travel/Marauders Era fic, and no, it will not be a time loop or time turner fic. I will explain more in future chapters._**

 ** _Please remember to REVIEW to let me know what you think. I always appreciate a good opinion._**

 ** _Enjoy, my dears!_**

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Dear Miss Granger,

If you are reading this, then I will have passed away. This letter was to be sent to you in the event of my death, as a last effort to save as many lives as possible, even some who have already passed. I have created a spell that may take you, and only you, back in time to 1977 when the Marauders begin their final year at Hogwarts. Your presence alone can change the timeline and save many lives, including the defeat of Lord Voldemort well before your time. This being said, there is a catch, as I'm sure you have assumed by this point. If you choose to do this, you will remain in that time period, there is no way to send you back to 1997. You will have to make a new life there, new friends, new love. It is your choice, but I have chosen you because I know you are capable and will make the best and most logical choice for everyone. Enclosed, you will find another parchment with instructions on how to perform the spell if you shall choose to do so, another letter to open when you arrive in the past, and one more that I have written to my past self. You may choose to keep this secret to yourself or share with someone close when you arrive in the past, but it is up to you. You have learned that meddling with time is disastrous, but I fear at this time that it would be even more disastrous not to do so. You are a brilliant witch, Miss Granger, and you will know what you need to do.

Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore

Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Order of Merlin, first class, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot.

P.S. I did quite like Fizzing Whizbees at the time.

Hermione stared at the letter, then continued to reread it time and time again. She had already made up her mind when she read that it would save lives, no matter the cost to her, and she knew that was why he had chosen her. He knew she would do it with no questions.

She then read the instructions and the spell.

Praeteritum Tempus – cast the spell while circling your wand thrice directly above your head towards the sky. You must concentrate on "1977 Hogwarts" as you would for apparation directly after speaking the incantation.

Good Luck

She practiced the incantation and movements a few times before hearing a knock at her door. She quickly placed all of her things (including the letters and a few pictures) inside her beaded bag (which had been packed for days anyways) and opened the door.

"Are you ready yet, Hermione?" Ginny asked as she walked through the door. She had been at the Burrow ever since sending her parents away and Bill and Fleur's wedding was about to take place. Hermione looked again in the mirror, her red dress and hair in place before nodding and walking out the doorway with Ginny.

She didn't cry while thinking of everyone she would never see again. She had told herself to have one last night with them, and she had to be strong. She could mourn their friendship later when she was gone.

She truly let herself have fun at the wedding, her last big hurrah before leaving her friends for good. She even danced with Victor again! It was the best last night she could have asked for, until right in the middle of the reception, Death Eaters showed up.

"Harry! Ron!" She yelled through the commotion. When she finally found them, she shoved a portkey in their hands and activated it before saying, "I'm sorry, I love you both, goodbye."

They disappeared with the portkey and she raised her wand, muttering "Praeteritum Tempus" and concentrating on 1977 Hogwarts before she felt a strong tug at her navel and heard a deafening crack, then everything went black.

Sept. 1st 1977

Sirius Black and Remus Lupin were walking up to the castle, having gotten off the train last and missing the carriages, when they heard a very loud crack, louder than apparation, come from the road directly in front of them.

They quickly ran towards the figure laying on the ground, not able to see much since it had already become dark out.

Upon further inspection, they found that it was a girl who looked to be around their age, wearing a beautiful red dress, her wand in one hand and a small purple beaded bag in the other. She seemed to be unconscious, a cut ran across her cheek with a small droplet of blood dripping from it. Her shoes were missing and her dress had a tear.

"Sirius, we have to take her to the hospital wing, now." Remus said, standing back up and letting Sirius carry her.

Sirius picked her up, noticing how light she felt, and the two boys rushed towards the Great Hall doors to get her inside.

As soon as the doors were open, everyone stared at them. Dumbledore immediately noticed the girl in Sirius' arms and walked over to them quickly.

"Madame Pomfrey, come quick!" Remus yelled, as Sirius continued walking towards the hall to get the girl to the hospital wing. James Potter quickly stood up from the table and followed his friends. Madame Pomfrey met them by the doorway and continued to walk with them.

"Where did you find this girl?" She asked the two boys accusingly as they walked briskly.

"There was a loud crack and she just appeared on the road in front of us as we walked up from the station. She was already unconscious when we got to her. She couldn't have apparated inside the grounds, could she?" Remus told Madame Pomfrey and Dumbledore.

"No, Mr. Lupin, she could not have apparated inside the grounds." Dumbledore told him as they finally arrived at the hospital wing. Sirius gently laid the girl on one of the beds, stepping away only enough to let the Medi-witch do her job.

"Remus, James, Sirius, why don't we head back to the Great Hall while Madame Pomfrey fixes her up. I trust that this young lady is in the best of hands.

Sirius, who hadn't said anything yet at this point, decided to speak up. "I'm staying." The others looked at him, surprised by his announcement.

"Mr. Black, I assure you she will be just fine." Dumbledore told him and he just pulled up a chair and scoffed.

"I'm staying." He said defiantly, crossing his arms, showing them he wasn't going to move.

"Very well. Shall we?" Dumbledore said to the other two Marauders who gave Sirius a confused look before turning and walking back to the great hall for the welcome feast.

"Why did you decide to stay, Mr. Black?" Madame Pomfrey asked him as she continued to work on the girl.

"I found her, it's my responsibility to be here when she wakes. Gotta take credit for being her knight in shining armour after all." He told the witch with a wink, however he had a strange feeling about the girl. When he picked her up, a shock ran through his entire body. She smelled of parchment, honeysuckle, and something he couldn't quite place, but whatever it was struck him as the most heavenly scent.

"I don't know when she will wake, but she is stable for now. I'll be in my office, if you need me then yell for me." Madame Pomfrey told the boy who nodded and leaned back, propping his feet on the edge of her hospital bed.

About an hour later, Sirius opened his eyes when he heard the girl cough from the bed. He quickly conjured a glass of water and handed it to her, not missing the way her eyebrows rose as she saw him, nor the look of recognition in her eyes when they met his.

"Feeling better?" He asked her and she nodded.

"Yes, thank you." She replied.

"What is your name?" He questioned, wondering about this mysterious girl.

"My name is Hermione, what is yours?" She asked him back, already knowing who it was as she looked into his piercing grey eyes.

"Name's Sirius Black. My friend and I found you just outside the castle unconscious after we heard a loud crack. You know you can't-"

"Apparate inside Hogwarts grounds, yes, I know. I didn't apparate. I'm not actually sure what you would call it, but I was sent here with a spell." Hermione told him and he just looked at her with one eyebrow raised.

"And who would send you here with a spell, looking like that? Why do you look like you were just in a fight, in a dress?" Sirius continued, wanting to know more.

"I happened to have been at a wedding reception when Death Eaters," she watched as his eyes snapped up to hers as she said it, " attacked us. I used the spell on myself before they decided to kill me, didn't exactly have time to change clothes." She told him, hoping he'd drop the questions. She should've known better.

"Mr. Black, you should've told me my patient was awake!" Madame Pomfrey scolded the boy and Hermione couldn't help but smile.

"I'm feeling just fine, may I be released so that I can find Professor Dumbledore? I have something I need to discuss with him urgently." Hermione told the medi-witch who reluctantly agreed to let her go, as long as Sirius escorted her to the Headmaster's office.

"Fuck, I don't know the password." He said as they arrived outside of the Gargoyle. She looked at the younger Sirius and smirked.

"Fizzing Whizbees." She spoke and the gargoyle began to move. Sirius looked at her like she had grown two heads. They both walked up the stairs and knocked on the door.

"Ah, Mister Black and Miss-"

"Granger, sir, Hermione Granger." She responded to Professor Dumbledore, who had the same twinkle in his eye when he spoke as before.

"Miss Granger, I assume you came to me to explain your strange arrival?" Dumbledore said, motioning for them both to sit in the chairs in front of him.

"Yes, sir. I have this letter for you." Hermione said as she opened the little beaded bag and reached her entire arm inside it, Sirius looking at her with a shocked expression, then pulling out a letter and handing it to the Professor.

He took his time to read it thoroughly before looking back up at Hermione.

"Ah, I see. Well then, Miss Granger, would you care for Mr. Black to leave while we discuss your arrangements, or do you wish him to know?" Dumbledore asked her and she looked over at the boy for a moment.

He was very handsome, obviously well kept. His long black hair hung to his shoulders in light waves, and his grey eyes just the same as they looked when he was older, except without the cold, hardness from his time in Azkaban. He looked more free, happy, not as haunted in this time. Hermione had already made up her mind that she would share her secret with the first Marauder that found her, minus Peter, so Sirius was it.

"He may stay, though I'd rather him take a wizard's oath to make sure it stays between us three, sir." Hermione told the Professor who nodded and looked towards Sirius.

"Okay, what is going on here?" Sirius asked and Hermione looked at him.

"Take the oath and you'll find out." She told him and he swore under his breath. He was too curious about the girl to not do it, so he pulled out his wand and held it up.

"I, Sirius Orion Black, swear to not divulge or repeat the contents or secrets of this conversation to anyone other than those in this room unless otherwise approved by Professor Dumbledore or Hermione Granger." The magic sealed itself around them all and he put his wand away. "Now will someone explain what is happening"

"My name is Hermione Jean Granger, and my birthdate will be September 19, 1979." She said and Sirius opened his eyes wide, staring at the girl then back at the headmaster.

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 **To be continued...**


	2. Chapter 2

_Previously-_

 _"My name is Hermione Jean Granger, and my birthdate will be September 19, 1979." She said and Sirius opened his eyes wide, staring at the girl then back at the headmaster._

"That's impossible, that's two years from now, and time-travel doesn't exist." Sirius told them, unbelieving.

"I was a special case. Would you like me to prove it?" Hermione asked and he nodded. "Your name is Sirius Orion Black, Gryffindor, though all of your family have been in Slytherin. You're best friends with James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. You are an unregistered animagus, which you, James, and Peter became to help Remus during the full moon, yours in the shape of a large black dog," Sirius' eyes snapped between her and the professor, "You have a black motorbike, live with the Potter's because your mother disowned you for not becoming a Death Eater and consorting with blood traitors and muggleborns. Shall I go on?" Hermione asked him with a smirk.

"How do you-"

"I knew you in the future."

"I still don't believe you, most anyone could figure out the majority of what you told me." Sirius told her, wanting more proof.

"May I use the pensieve, sir?" Hermione asked Professor Dumbledore and he nodded, pointing her in that direction.

She and Sirius walked over to the pensieve and she carefully extracted a few different memories from her mind before she released them into the liquid and urged

Sirius to go in with her. Within seconds, they were both falling into a memory.

Older Sirius was sitting in a chair at Grimmauld Place, drinking a glass of firewhiskey as he told Hermione, Ron and Harry the story about James proposing to Lily every chance he got, then Remus walked in and agreed with him, laughing.

Younger Sirius was staring at his older self in shock. He looked rough, haunted, his smile lacking the sort of happiness he usually exerted. He was in bloody Grimmauld Place of all places, the last place he ever wanted to end up! Remus looked a bit worse for wear too, many more scars than at this point.

The next memory showed Hermione and Sirius having a deep discussion over the mistreatment of house elves and which books not to touch in the library at

Grimmauld Place. It then changed to Sirius comforting Hermione.

"It's alright, kitten. Harry will be fine, I promise. You know he has to stay with them for two months of every year to renew the blood wards, after that, he'll be here."

After that, they both surfaced and Sirius looked at Hermione in a strange light.

"So how far in the future are you from? Obviously you know me." Sirius asked her and she just laughed as he smirked.

"I came from 1997." She answered, walking back to the chairs to sit down.

"And who were the ones that were with you?" Sirius asked her and her expression faltered.

"They were my best friends, Harry and Ron, and I'll never get to see them again." She told him before stealthily wiping a tear from her eye.

"What do you mean, never get to see them again?" Sirius asked curiously.

"When I accepted this mission, to come to the past and change certain events, I was told that there would be no return. I am here permanently. I left everyone I loved so that maybe I'll have a chance at saving them all." Hermione explained and Sirius looked at the broken girl in front of him. He reached over and grabbed her hand, holding it.

"I may not be the most responsible 17 year old, but I am loyal, which I can tell never changed from your memories. I- you're comfortable with me because I am familiar, yes?" Sirius asked and she nodded, "Then I will do my best to help you. I'll be your knight in shining armour!" He winked at her.

"Well thank you, Padfoot. Now, Professor, I assume that I should have some sort of backstory as for how I ended up here and where I came from, correct?" Dumbledore had a twinkle in his eye as he looked at the two students sitting in front of him.

"Miss Granger, is there any chance that you, perhaps, speak French?" He asked and she nodded her head.

"Yes, Professor, my mother was French and we usually spent our summers in Paris. I can speak it fluently." She replied.

"Well then, my dear, you shall be a transfer student from Beauxbaton's Academy. You were born and raised in England, but moved to France with your aunt after your mother and father passed away, thus going to Beauxbaton's instead of Hogwarts. Now that your aunt has passed, you moved back to England to finish your schooling here. Your unfortunate arrival was a mishap with a portkey. You will join the 7th year class. Which house were you in, dear?"

"Gryffindor, sir." She replied.

"Excellent, there is an extra bed in the Gryffindor 7th year girls dormitory already, so that shall work out well for you. I trust Mr. Black will introduce you to your new housemates and should the need arise, you know where to find me."

"Thank you, sir." Hermione said before standing up and motioning for Sirius to go in front of her. He opened the door and held it open for her before walking out, himself.

As they walked down the hall, Hermione looked at Sirius, watching him as he walked. "You are different than I imagined 17 year old Sirius Black to be." She said and he gave her an incredulous look.

"How so, kitten?" She balked at how he picked up that nickname from her memories, but continued nonetheless.

"You just seem much more... gentlemanly than I expected. Remus always told us that you had quite the reputation in school. I dunno, I guess I just figured you would be a bit more wild, outspoken, rebellious." Hermione told him and he laughed hard and stopped walking.

"You've just made my day, kitten. Well, besides you nearly falling from the sky into my lap. People see what they want to see, love. So I've snogged several witches senseless, I ride a motorbike, turn into a dog on occasion, was disowned by my family. I do have a 'reputation' to uphold. Who I am behind closed doors is completely different. I think the only people who see the real me are the other Marauders, and obviously you. Might have to talk to James about making you an honorary Marauder since you know all of our biggest bloody secrets, by the way. How are you going to explain that to them?" Sirius asked her and she was surprised by what he said.

"I'll have to wait a little while, until after the first full moon at least, that way I can just say that I was very observant. I- I would like to become an animagus and I was wondering if you could teach me? I- you offered to teach me before and never got the chance." Hermione asked him and he faced her with a devious smirk.

"I guess this means we need some mandrake leaves, so that means a trip by the greenhouses after hours. Be prepared for a nasty taste, kitten, it's not pleasant." Sirius said as he winked at her again, continuing to walk down the hall.

"Let me guess, sticking charm?" Hermione asked him, grimacing at the thought of that foul leaf in her mouth for a month!

"You would be correct. Dammit! No one told me the password." Sirius said as they stood in front of the Gryffindor entrance, unable to get past the fat lady without the current password.

"Oi, Padfoot! Where have you been, mate?" Hermione turned around to see James Potter and Remus Lupin walking up the stairs behind them.

"Prongsie! I escorted Miss Hermione here to Dumbledore's office and gave her a tour of the castle after she woke up. Isn't that right, kitten?" Sirius said as they stood in front of the portrait.

"Well, what are you waiting for, Pads, introduce her to us!" James told Sirius, hitting him in the arm.

"Hermione, love, this is James Potter and Remus Lupin, two of my best mates, and together we make ¾ of the Marauders. James, Remus, this is Hermione Granger, a transfer student from Beauxbaton's." Sirius said, introducing them.

"Beauxbaton's, eh? Are you French?" James asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"I was born and raised in England, but went to live in France with my aunt after my parents passed. My aunt recently passed, so I decided that I wanted to come back to England and come here for my last year." Hermione explained the rehearsed backstory.

"Why didn't you come on the train?" Remus asked, curious as to why she appeared out of nowhere.

"Well, I had a portkey that was supposed to take me to Hogsmeade, but something happened and I must have let go before it was supposed to land." Hermione told them and they seemed to buy it.

"Lucky Remus and I were there when you landed, eh kitten?" Sirius said looking down at her.

"Oh yes, my knights in shining armour. Now, who knows the password? I'd really like to change clothes seeing as my dress is torn."

"So you're a Gryffindor?" James asked her curiously, not hearing which house she was in yet.

"Oh, yes, I am. Professor Dumbledore allowed me to be sorted in his office once everything was in order." Hermione told them, luckily she was doing well at thinking on the spot today.

"Right then, the password is Butterbees." James told them and the portrait swung open, letting them in.

Hermione followed Remus and James, while Sirius followed behind her. As she walked in, hundreds of memories came flooding back to her all at once. She had spent so many nights curled up by this fire, reading a book while Harry and Ron played wizard's chess or exploding snap. She couldn't help but freeze as a tear escaped her eye.

"Kitten, are you alright?" Sirius asked her, noticing that she was crying as the other boys went up to their dormitory.

"I miss them, Sirius." She whispered to him, careful about the others who were passing in and out of the common room, looking at her strangely.

"I know, love. It will hurt for some time. I will be here if you need me, alright?" He told her before making his way up to the boys dormitory.

Hermione made her own way up the stairs to the 7th year girls dorm and when she walked in, she wasn't expecting the girls to be sitting around one of the beds, talking and laughing.

They all stopped when they noticed the new occupant.

"Hello, I'm Hermione Granger, a transfer student. Is this the 7th year dormitory?" She asked, trying to pretend that she didn't know much about it.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, Hermione! Yes, this is the 7th year dormitory. My name is Lily Evans." Lily said as she walked up to Hermione. She smiled fondly and as soon as Hermione saw her eyes, she saw Harry. She shook away whatever tears may have been coming and smiled back. "That is Marlene McKinnon,

Mary MacDonald and Alice Prewett."

The girls each took turns introducing themselves completely, and Hermione felt herself smiling at the fact that she was now sharing a dorm with Harry and Neville's mothers. If all went as she planned, she would save them both.

She explained to them all about being a transfer student and the whole backstory, which they all seemed to believe rather well before excusing herself to get washed up and change her clothes for bed.

While they were turned around talking, she quickly opened her beaded back and whispered 'Accio chest' and her Hogwarts chest flew out and landed on the ground at the end of the vacant bed in the corner of the room.

Hermione grabbed her clothes and excused herself to the showers before grabbing a book out of her bag and walking down to the common room. The fire was lit and she found herself curling into the armchair, reading about Advanced Transfiguration to keep her mind off of things.

"What've you got there, kitten?" She heard from right behind her and she jumped, not aware that anyone was behind her.

"Merlin, Sirius! Scare me half to death, won't you? How did you get down here so quietly?" She asked him, her heart rate pounding out of her chest.

"Apparently four legs are quieter than two." He winked at her and she understood what he meant. He picked the book out of her hands and looked at what she was reading. "Come on, love, we are going on a field trip." He said, laying her book down on the table and pulling her up out of the chair.

"W-what? Where are we going? It's after curfew, Sirius, I can't get detention my first night here!" She whisper-shouted at him.

He pulled a large cloak out from behind him and pulled her close to him before wrapping it around them.

"An invisibility cloak?" She asked him, though she knew what it was.

"It's James' but he lets me borrow it when I want. Now let's get down to the greenhouses to get your mandrake leaf. Best to get you started now, it's a long process and I'm rather curious to see what you will be, kitten." He told her before pulling her along to walk out of the dormitory and down the stairs.

Once they reached the door to the greenhouses, they heard a cat.

Hermione held her finger up to Sirius' lips when he nearly spoke. She knew it was Filch's cat (though a different, older one than in her time). Once it was gone, they moved into the greenhouse with the mandrakes.

They reached out of the cloak and cut off several leaves, though not enough for Professor Sprout to know they were gone. They could hear the Mandrake's muffled cry from inside the soil, and they finished, hurrying back up to the common room.

Once there, they took off the cloak and Hermione just laughed, looking at Sirius. It was fun, sneaking out. It had made her remember her times at Hogwarts from before with Harry and Ron.

"What's so funny, kitten?" Sirius asked her as he sat across from her in the other armchair.

"Just remembering old times. I may be a bookworm, but I did my fair share of sneaking about and I have to admit that I did miss it a bit." She told him with a sad smile.

"Who would've guessed? I do think you'll fit right in." He told her with a smirk. "Now, take the mandrake leaf, press it to the roof of your mouth, and hold it there." He told her and she did as he asked. He took his wand and pointed it at the leaf on the roof of her mouth, muttering a sticking charm.

She closed her mouth and grimaced at the unwelcome taste. "Will it taste like this the entire time?"

"Unfortunately. You can't even cast an impervious spell to block the taste, something about having to have the full experience to become an animagus." Sirius told her and she gritted her teeth, thankful that it didn't impede her ability to talk. "You'll have to recast the spell every 5 days for the month."

She nodded and looked over at the mischievous boy sitting across from her.

"Thank you, Sirius, for everything." She told him as he stood up to go back up to his dormitory. He smiled at her.

"Always, kitten." He told her, winking. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, padfoot." She whispered before walking back up to her own dormitory and going to sleep.

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 **I'm back! As always, let me know what you think.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Oct. 1st, 1977**

She took the next four weeks getting to know the girls she shared her room with and the Marauders. She had met Peter the second day there and he was the sweetest, so shy that he blushed when he heard how she and Sirius interacted. She knew that she could prevent him from betraying his friends.

She shared study sessions with Lily and Remus, who both cared about their school work as much as she did, then she also helped James, Sirius, Remus and Peter make some of the funniest pranks, remembering some from Fred and George.

They had gotten just as close, if not closer than she had been with Harry and Ron, and that was strange to her. She was completely surprised at how different life was for her here.

She was undoubtedly the closest with Sirius. Hermione had to admit that she and Sirius were inseparable and her feelings for him were heading in a different direction than the others. She hadn't acted on her feelings yet because she was afraid he wouldn't feel the same and it would ruin what they had.

"Morning kitten." Sirius said, walking down to the common room and grabbing the book out of her hand, sitting it down.

"Padfoot, remember what we talked about." She heard James tell him in a whisper and he just nodded back to him. Morning, 'Mione!"

"Morning James! What was that about, Sirius?" Hermione asked him as he leaned over her shoulder from behind.

"Oh nothing, Prongs was just reminding me to do something. Care to take a walk with me, love?" He asked her and she smiled up at him and nodded.

They walked in near silence down towards the lake and Hermione was starting to worry. Was something wrong? Could he tell she liked him and didn't feel the same?

She couldn't take the silence any longer and spoke up.

"Sirius, what's going on? You're acting very... unusual? It's quite worrying to be honest." Hermione asked him, stopping just before the lake. Sirius reached out and took her hand.

"I don't mean to worry you, kitten. I'm just trying to do things the right way. Since you've been here, I've come to care for you, and not just as a friend. This is all new to me. I've never had a real girlfriend before, just random snogs here and there, but I don't want you to be just some random snog. I was thinking a bit more... long term.

Bloody hell I sound like a blubbering girl!" Sirius said, but was cut off by Hermione reaching up to him and pulling his head down to her level, covering his lips with hers.

The connection was immediate and they both could feel it. Once Sirius got over the shock of her kissing him, he kissed back just as passionately and it was truly magical. The tension between the two had been palpable for at least the last two weeks and now they were releasing it all. They felt a burst of magic surrounding them, then it slowly faded.

After pulling away, Sirius rested his forehead on hers and smiled. "Bloody hell, kitten, you are incredible. So, does this mean you'll be my girlfriend?"

She looked up and him and smiled. "Yes, Sirius, I'd love to be your girlfriend."

"I was afraid you wouldn't feel the same, which is why I waited so long. I've wanted to ask you for about two weeks. James finally worked me up enough to actually do it." Sirius told her, sliding her hand in his as they began to walk around the lake.

"Honestly, I was the same way. I was afraid you wouldn't feel the same, too. The girls were trying to convince me to be all flirty with you, but you know that's not how I am." Hermione told him and he laughed.

"My kitten, flirty? I don't think so. You are just how I like you, which is different than other girls, so thank you for not taking their advice, love." He told her. "I don't think things will ever be 'normal' with us, do you, kitten?"

"I doubt it. I mean, I trusted you from the very first moment I saw you with life-altering, world changing information. You turn into a dog at times, I am working on becoming an animal of my own. We have a werewolf as a best friend. I think it's safe to say that no, life won't ever be the stereotypical normal. We'll just have to make our own normal." Hermione told him and he smiled back at her.

"I like the sound of that. So today's the last day for your leaf. Then we'll need to use it to make the potion tonight. Once you drink the potion, you have to recite the incantation "Amato Animo Animato Animagus" daily until you transform for the first time. It took me about three weeks, but I found that when I turned to meditation before saying it, it happened much quicker. It took five weeks for James and nearly two months for Peter." Sirius explained to her and she nodded in understanding.

"I'm so glad that I will get this leaf out of my mouth tonight, then I can kiss you properly. Please tell me that the potion at least tastes better than this leaf?" She asked

and he grimaced.

"Afraid not, love. It's actually about 10 times worse." She looked at him with an unreadable expression. "Oh don't give me that look, I promised you I'd never lie to you, so I'm giving you the honest truth. It's not my fault if it's not what you wanted to hear, kitten." He told her and she punched him on the arm jokingly.

She laughed and then wondered if it tasted anything like the polyjuice.

"What was that look?" He asked and she washed away the gross taste in her mouth.

"I was just hoping that it didn't taste like polyjuice potion. It's absolutely horrid." She mentioned and he looked at her curiously.

"And when did you use polyjuice potion?" He asked, wondering how many crazy things she had done.

"I brewed it in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom during my second year. We were trying to figure out who the heir of Slytherin was because they opened the Chamber of Secrets. Our plan was to turn into some Slytherin's so that we could question Malfoy, but apparently the hair that I got off the girl's robe was a cat's hair. Didn't stop coughing up furballs for weeks!" She told him and he let out a loud belly laugh as he listened to her story.

"I think that gives me a new reason to call you kitten, love." Sirius told her, laughing. She glared at him before laughing, herself.

"Sirius, what happened when we kissed? With our magic, I mean?" Hermione asked, wondering if he knew since he was a pureblood.

"I don't know for sure, because I've only ever heard stories of it happening, but in the wizarding world, two people can become soul-bonded." Sirius told her quietly as they walked along. She turned to look at him curiously.

"Soul-bonded?" She asked, wondering what that entailed.

"It's difficult to explain. Essentially, it's like having a soulmate, but it's possible because of our magic. If two people's magic is compatible in a certain way, it just fits together. I mean, it would make sense seeing as how I've trusted you fully since day one when I didn't even know you. I know you felt the same connection." Sirius told her, brushing a tendril of her hair behind her ear. She smiled back up at him and nodded.

"It does make sense. So this means you're my soulmate, Sirius Black?" Hermione asked him and he leaned down and kissed her again, feeling their magic buzz.

"The one and only!" He told her. They could see James and Remus standing up at the castle yelling for Sirius.

"Go, they need you. I think I'll walk around for a little while longer before I come back up to the castle, then I'm going to the library to do some research on soul-bonds." Hermione told him and he nodded, leaning down to kiss her again before running back up to the castle where Remus and James were.

Hermione just giggled as he blew her an over exaggerated kiss when he met up with the boys, knowing that it was his way of telling them that they were now

together.

She walked around the lake a while before sitting on a stump, looking out at the water. It was nice and calming, until she heard a branch break on the ground behind her.

She whipped her head around and saw a boy leaning against a tree, watching her with his arms crossed. What caught her attention was that he looked nearly exactly like Sirius, just a tad younger, and wearing Slytherin robes.

"You're Regulus, aren't you?" Hermione asked him and he just scoffed.

"I'm surprised my brother has thought to mention me." He said with a deep voice, still leaning against a tree. Hermione knew that he would have already become a Death Eater at this point, and she wasn't positive exactly when his allegiance changed, so she kept her hand on her wand.

"He hasn't. I just happen to be perceptive." She told him, now standing, clutching her wand to see if he was going to make any moves.

To her surprise, when he saw her defensive stance, he just laughed.

"Getting defensive, are we?" He asked her, still laughing. "There's no need. I don't even have my wand out."

"We both know that neither of us actually needs our wands out to inflict damage." She replied, having witnessed him performing wandless/wordless magic in the halls.

She could also perform wandless/wordless magic, so she placed her wand back in her pocket.

"Seems you are quite perceptive, then. However, why would I want to hurt my brother's new bonded?" He asked, testing her. She wondered how he knew about the bonding, then surmised that he was probably eve's dropping while her and Sirius spoke.

"There are several reasons. One, because you hate your brother, two, because you know what I am, and three, because I know what you are." She explained to him and he stared at her, calculating what to say next.

"And what am I?" He questioned, his emotions staying blank, waiting for her to respond.

"A Death Eater." She replied and he subconsciously rubbed his left forearm before looking back up at her with an unreadable expression.

"How do you know?" He asked, now worried who she might've told.

"I make it my business to know all the Death Eater's in the school. You see, they have a habit of coming after me, so I'd rather know who wants to kill me." She eyed his reaction before continuing, "Now, I'm positive that Sirius knows because your parents tried to force him to take the mark before he left, but I haven't told anyone, and I won't unless you cause harm to myself or any of my friends." She told him confidently. She wanted to break down his walls and maybe even one day befriend him.

"Why haven't you told?" He asked in a strangled voice, his stoic expression gone.

"Because I once knew a boy just like you. He was a pureblood, and it was a duty to his family to become a Death Eater. He wanted the honor, but once he became one, he realized just how wrong it was. Voldemort doesn't care about his followers, in fact, I've seen him kill a fair few, just because. Did you know that he's a half-blood, himself? Not that he'd tell anyone. If you want to know what a man is like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals." She said, actually quoting Sirius from the future.

Regulus' eyes went wide at what she was saying, also the fact that she had said the Dark Lord's name without fear. He could see in her eyes that she had seen worse things than even he had yet. The seed of doubt in him had been planted when he first received his mark and witnessed what this witch had just explained to him.

"I know you aren't quite ready yet, but when you are, come find me and I will help you, Regulus." She told him turning to walk away.

"Are you a legilimens?" He asked accusingly as she turned her back to him.

"Technically, yes, but I didn't use it on you. I saw everything I needed to in your eyes. Are you an occlumens?" She asked him and his eyes snapped back up to her.

"How do you think I've lasted this long already?" He asked her before turning and walking away, his black robes billowing as he did.

This gave Hermione a little hope for Regulus. She knew he was having doubts, and the fact that he was proficient enough in occlumens meant that he was keeping it from Voldemort already. He would come to her eventually and when he did, she would help him.

She took her time and walked back to the castle, where she went directly to the library to find more information on soul-bonds. She knew that she couldn't tell Sirius about her little run-in with Regulus, seeing as he'd likely be very angry.

All of the information that she found in the library was essentially the same as what Sirius had told her, but it also stated that the bond would not be sealed until they consummated the relationship. The book explained that once the bond was sealed, their magic would essentially be intertwined, therefore making both of them stronger. She also read about familial bonds and all different types of loyalty bonds that were very old and powerful magic. How had she never come across this before in all of her reading?

"I thought I'd find you in here," She heard someone say from behind her, immediately relaxing once she realized it was just Sirius. "Find any good information?" He whispered in her ear as he looked over her shoulder at what she was reading.

"Yes, actually. I think you're right about us being soul-bonded, however the bond isn't sealed yet. I found out lots of information on all types of bonds that I'd never heard about. Did you tell the boys?" Hermione asked him and he pulled out the chair next to her and sat.

"I told James. To be honest, he said he wasn't surprised. Mentioned something about the way we both 'clicked'. Told me that it was about damn time that I bucked up and asked you out." Sirius said before standing up and holding his hand out to help her up as well. "Why don't we go get some lunch, love?"

She smiled and grabbed his hand, holding on to it as he pulled her down the hall. As they approached the Great Hall, they walked in, still holding hands while everyone watched them, before sitting down next to James, Remus, and Lily.

"I see you two finally got together then?" Lily asked, referencing the way Sirius had his arm wrapped around Hermione's waist protectively.

"Indeed, we have. Kitten, here, is all mine now." Sirius said before kissing Hermione lighty. Her cheeks tinged pink as they kissed, before she looked back over at Lily.

"Congratulations, then. I was wondering when it would finally happen." Lily told them with a laugh. They continued on eating lunch and Hermione's eyes wandered over to the Slytherin table, happening on Regulus, who was caught watching and before he nodded at her, ever so slightly, before standing up and walking out of the hall.

"I'll meet you guys back in the common room, I've just remembered that I need to ask Professor Dumbledore about something." Hermione told them and Sirius leaned over to her.

"Need me to go with you, love?" He asked and Hermione shook her head no.

"It's nothing important. I'll be up in a little while." She told him, kissing his cheek before walking out of the hall. She didn't know where she was going, she only hoped it wasn't the opposite direction that Regulus had.

Without a noise, someone pulled her into a dark alcove. She saw the black hair and knew that it was Regulus, sighing in relief as she saw it was him and not another Slytherin. "I need to talk with you. Privately." He whispered in her ear.

"Meet me on the 7th floor in front of the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. Midnight. No questions, just do it." She whispered back at him before leaving the alcove.

She took the long route and finally made it back to the common room where everyone was just enjoying their afternoon. She found herself laying across Sirius, reading a book while he and James discussed their next prank, laughing and smiling.

She couldn't help but feel nervous about her meeting with Regulus later, but she didn't let it show.

At 8pm, it was time to take the mandrake leaf out of her mouth and place it in the potion they had been brewing for days. Sirius watched as she sighed in relief once the leaf left her mouth. She threw it in the potion and stirred clockwise ten times before it was declared ready.

"Are you ready, kitten?" Sirius said, pouring some into a flask for her to drink. She grimaced at the thought.

"Might as well get it over with." She said before she gulped the entire concoction down. She nearly gagged after finishing, but it wasn't nearly as bad as the polyjuice potion.

"You alright, love?" Sirius asked her and she looked up at him and nodded before repeating the phrase she needed to say in her head. "We'll start trying tomorrow. Try to just sit and meditate for now."

She did as he said and meditated, trying to figure out what she was going to turn into. She couldn't see much yet, just lots of fog.

At about 10pm, she excused herself for bed and found herself sitting on her bed, trying to think of how she could help Regulus. At quarter to midnight, Hermione walked down to the common room as quietly as she could.

She had decided that she was going to borrow James invisibility cloak to get to the Room of Requirement, but he couldn't know.

"Accio invisibility cloak." She whispered and within seconds, it was flying towards her from the boys dormitory.

She quickly wrapped it around herself before leaving the Gryffindor tower and walking to the 7th floor corridor where the tapestry was. She was surprised to see that

Regulus was already there waiting for her.

She pulled off the invisibility cloak in front of him and he stared at her, wide-eyed.

"Where'd you get a bloody invisibility cloak?" He asked her as she stowed it away in her bag before walking in front of the wall back and forth three times.

"I borrowed it." She told him. A normal sized door appeared in front of them and Regulus looked at the door and then back at her. "Well come on, then, unless you want to be spotted after hours with a mudblood." She told him as she opened the door, motioning for him to walk in.

He followed quickly, walking behind her into the room, which was laid out like a sitting room, shelves full of books lining the walls, a fireplace, and two chairs in front of it.

"What is this place? And how do you know of it when you are a new student? You can't hardly call finding a clearly unplottable room being perceptive." Regulus asked, looking at the room around him as she closed the door.

"There's a lot about me that you don't know, that most don't know." Hermione told him clearly.

"Does Sirius?" He retorted.

"Yes." She responded. "You asked to speak to me, what is it you'd like to talk about?"

"You're not afraid of me, at all." He said as he watched her sit down in one of the chairs, placing her wand on the table next to her.

"No. I've dealt with many Death Eaters, Snatchers, even Werewolves, Regulus. I can handle myself with a 16 year old Death Eater. Even then, I don't feel as if you're a threat. Are you?" She asked him and waited for his response.

"No." He replied quietly. "But I am dangerous."

"I'm dangerous, too. I've taken at least one life, maybe more. I don't really know. But the people I took down were trying to kill me, kill my friends, my family, my 'kind'.

Did I want to kill them? No. Would I do it again? Yes." She explained to him. He stared at her, this innocent looking girl in front of him, wondering if she was telling the truth. "Would you like to take a look? I'm sure you're a legilimens. Go ahead."

He didn't hesitate. Hermione could feel the prodding to her mind and let down her walls to what she wanted him to see, her fighting the death eaters. As soon as he saw what he needed to see, he retreated from her mind, not wanting to invade her privacy any longer.

"Can you help me?" He asked in a strangled voice once he regained his bearings. "I don't want to be a monster."

"I can help you. I won't lie and say that it will be easy, because it won't. You will still need to go when he calls, until we can find a safe alternative, but you are not alone." Hermione told him and offered him to sit down.

He took the seat and put his head in his hands, his long hair falling into his face. Hermione stood up and walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. His first reaction was to tense up, not being used to that sort of comforting touch, but he slowly found himself relaxing, even going so far as to lean his head into her arm.

After a while, Hermione went to sit back in her chair and he looked at her. "What do I need to do?"

* * *

 **I couldn't help but bring Regulus in... I feel like he is a lot like Draco, and if he just had a little bit of help before getting in too deep, things would have ended up different for him. I even entertained the idea of writing a Hermione/Regulus story, but we'll see. Ideas? Let me know!**


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